Little Grandma's Orange Bread Pudding

When I was very young, I wasn't fond of this recipe. Later, as an adult, I tried it again, and I was delighted with its flavor. Moreover, there are not many bread pudding recipes out there with the orange flavor. It's really a very lovely dessert, an elegant dessert for a dinner party, and it's not hard to make.

3 cups of bread cubes (Grandma said with the crust cut off. I didn't bother, and I think it's just as good or better. The bread should not be a moist bread with a dense crumb like a challah, more the texture of a good sandwich bread. My best cookbooks say if you are going commercial, Peppridge Farm Hearty White Sandwich Bread is a good choice. The bread can be stale or fresh. Stale may absorb the liquids better, but I doubt Little Grandma had stale bread very often with all those mouths to feed!)
2 cups of scalded milk (I'm sure she meant whole milk. Grandma's recipes were written before the advent of such things as skim milk. You can try a variety with less milk fat, but it may change the dish somewhat.)
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
3 slightly beaten eggs
1/2 lemon, grated rind and juice
1/2 orange, grated rind and juice
1 orange, juice and pulp

Cut bread into cubes and place in a large bowl. Pour hot milk over cubes. Then add melted butter and sugar; cool slightly while you beat the eggs and prepare the juices and rind. Then add fruits and eggs to the bread/milk mixture. (Don't add eggs out of order or you'll cook the eggs before you get it in the oven). Bake in a greased casserole at 350 degrees for about an hour and fifteen minutes - until the top is golden. The middle of the casserole will be not quite firm.

Serve with this Sauce:

1/4 cup butter
1/2 light cream
1/2 sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Combine butter, cream, and sugar and heat thoroughly in a double boiler. Add vanilla and serve.

This dish is divine served warm, but it's also yummy cold. Store leftovers in fridge. Obviously this dish is not low fat -- something you'd serve often, but it's certainly a taste of the good old days.